Survey study of association between medical misinformation and fear of recurrence and adherence to treatment in breast cancer survivors

A survey study among 997 responding adult survivors of breast cancer investigated the exposure to medical misinformation and the association between this exposure and fear of cancer recurrence and adherence to treatment. Five hundred twenty patients (52%) were undergoing active cancer treatment. A total of 761 participants (76%) reported encountering misinformation about breast cancer; 65% reported misinformation exposure about factors that increase the risk of cancer progression or recurrence (eg, sugar, deodorant, cell phones, vaccines) and 54% reported misinformation about factors that decrease risk (eg, organic food, vitamins or supplements, and alkaline diets). Misinformation exposure was not associated with clinically significant fear of recurrence (38% versus 35%; p=0.47) or treatment nonadherence (23% versus 26%; p=0.34). The authors conclude that exposure to medical misinformation was common, underscoring the need for better survivorship communication with patients. Fear of recurrence and treatment nonadherence were not associated with exposure to misinformation.